1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for the convenient synthesis of an aryl glucuronide of 2-hydroxy-N-(5-nitro-2-thiazolyl)benzamide, preferably an O-aryl glucuronide, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The invention further relates to glucuronide pharmaceutical compositions characterized by high stability and low toxicity, and to methods for the use of these pharmaceutical compositions, for example, for treatment of inflammation, infections, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a pharmaceutical compound to have true commercial value, it must satisfy every one of a long list of requirements.
One of the problems commonly encountered in the development of new pharmaceutical compounds is the stability of the compound in vivo. Numerous compounds have demonstrated promise in vitro, only to have an unsatisfactory short life when tested in vivo. This short life may be due to any of a number of reasons such as host organism immune response, enzymatic metabolism, etc.
On the other hand, numerous compounds which have been found to have satisfactory stability can not be utilized in practice because they lack the solubility required to be readily taken up by the host organism. This lack of solubility complicates the administration of the pharmaceutical compound.
Yet another criterion in the development of pharmaceutical compounds is target specificity. Compounds which are highly potent against a target organisms frequently tend also to have some amount of direct or indirect toxicity to the host organism. Pharmaceutical compounds with lower toxicity or fewer undesirable side effects are preferred.
Another criterion essential to pharmaceutical commercialization is the cost of synthesis of the pharmaceutical compound or composition. Complex organic syntheses may be cost prohibitive, particularly where less expensive alternative compounds are available. Further, as the synthesis protocol increases in complexity, so increases the susceptibility of the end product to inclusion of impurities, by-products or contaminants.
For all of the above reasons, new and useful pharmaceutical compounds satisfying all the requirements needed in the industry are rarely achieved. It is estimated that for every 2,000 drugs which show promise in vitro, only one ever reaches commercialization.